UK retail stalwart Marks & Spencer (M&S) is in the middle of an online catastrophe. These concerns became reality when a cyber-attack hit during the over Easter weekend. The attack first knocked out the company’s click-and-collect service and contactless payments. As a consequence, millions of shoppers were confused and unable to finalize their transactions through e-commerce channels.
As the situation progressed, M&S communicated with its customers through a banner on its website, apologizing for the unavailability of online ordering. This message became increasingly urgent as days turned into weeks, with countless customers unable to place online orders since the attack.
On Wednesday evening, users attempting to access the M&S website encountered a message stating, “Sorry you can’t browse the site currently.” In the midst of ongoing disruption, already more than a week for some measure of events. Now, M&S has made it pretty clear its online services will stay impacted until July. The online marketplace has operated at an inflated capacity, and the retailer intends to bring this process back down to earth slowly.
Stuart Machin, the chief executive of M&S, addressed the situation, stating, “Over the last few weeks, we have been managing a highly sophisticated and targeted cyber-attack, which has led to a limited period of disruption.” His statements are a sign of the company’s continued pledge to transparency during this difficult period.
The ongoing cyber incident has major financial cost for M&S. The retail behemoth bounced a bump from that attack down the line to profits for this fiscal year by around £300 million. This figure really emphasizes the attack to the extent of why it’s so severe and its long-term implications towards the company’s financial health.
We know that online customers are disappointed and alarmed by the long-term disruption of the service. With many relying on digital platforms for their shopping needs, the inability to make online orders has raised questions about customer loyalty and trust in the brand.